The World Health Organisation, or WHO, was founded on 7th April 1948, as part of the United Nations. Since then, the WHO has worked to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable. Each year, the 7th April is designated World Health Day by the agency, and aims to highlight a different, specific health topic of concern to people all over the world.
This year, the World Health Day 2024 theme is My Health, My Right, championing the right for everyone to have access to clean drinking water and decent nutrition and to be able to breathe clean air.
But not everyone has that right. And even if we do, we might not always make the best decisions around our health. So, here’s our top tips on looking after your health. There’s nothing out of the ordinary, just six simple ways you could make changes to your life, that could enhance it for the better…
- Eat more plant protein – don’t listen to anyone who tells you that you can’t get enough protein from plants – you absolutely can! Consuming a wide variety of different nuts, seeds, peas, chickpeas, lentils and beans will provide enough protein to satisfy the needs of your body. And unlike animal based protein sources, such as red meat, plants contain little to no saturated fat. Consuming protein helps to keep us fuller for longer, meaning that we’re less likely to snack. Helpful if we’re also looking to lose weight.
- Drink more water – staying hydrated benefits us in so many different ways, including regulating blood pressure, keeping our skin plump and youthful and maintaining good energy levels. If plain water is a little dull, try adding fruit such as strawberries and limes to your glass.
- Consume a teaspoon of honey every day – high quality, active healing honey such as Necta & Hive Jarrah high TA 10+ honey is packed with health-giving antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Pop a spoonful into your water bottle, a warm herbal tea or your morning smoothie. (Or eat it straight from the spoon, we promise not to judge – we do that ourselves!)
- Walk more – getting outside and walking in nature has enormous benefits for both our physical and mental health. It can boost our energy levels, helping to eliminate the afternoon chocolate craving slump, elevate our mood, improve our muscle tone and even enhance our creativity.
- Sleep better – we all know how it feels to lose just one night of good quality sleep. If we consistently experience poor sleep, the negative health effects can become chronic. We can gain weight, suffer with chronic disease such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease, make poor decisions and lack concentration. Achieving the Holy Grail of 7-8 hours sleep per night is no mean feat for some of us. But our four step good nights’ sleep plan could set you off in the right direction of the land of the nod!
- Manage stress – stress can creep up on us, as we juggle the demands of everyday life as an adult. Prolonged stress can then mean serious diseases, such as high blood pressure and heart disease. Managing a high stress life isn’t easy, and if you’re struggling, a chat with your GP might help. But for everyday stresses and strains, yoga and mindfulness practices can be helpful for grounding us and bringing us back to the present.
